Shocked and saddened

My jaw literally dropped when I saw the headline on TMO’s main page. I immediately thought that it must have been a car accident or maybe a long battle with cancer that hadn’t been revealed. My heart fell even further when I read that Rodney had taken his own life. Some how that made the loss seem even worse. Depression can be an insidious disease and it just doesn’t get the attention that other potentially fatal illnesses do. We still think that with drugs and counseling depression can be defeated rather easily unless personally involved. I for one won’t take depression so lightly any more.

My deepest sympathies for Rodney’s wife, family, co-workers, and friends. I loved his writing and jumped on every article he penned. He made me laugh and also made me think. His articles were definitely a highlight. He obviously touched a lot of people he never met through his writings. I hope these tributes are seen by the family and that they give them some sort of comfort. For a person as young as Rodney to affect this many people, all of different races and of both genders is a testament to the man’s talent, intellect, and gave us all an insight into the person.

Wow. This just isn’t right.

Goodbye Cruel World

Hello all,
It’s so disturbingly ironic that I was listening to “Goodbye Cruel World” by Shakespears Sister when I found the story about Rodneys suicide.
I am shocked beyond belief that such a jovial person with so much enthusiasm could take his own life. I met Rodney first when he used to work at CompUSA in Roseville, MN. He used to work there on weekends, and I met him there regularly (this was before Apple Stores ). We used to chat up about the latest Mac news and what’s coming down the pipe from Apple.
He then moved to Microcenter in St. Louis Park. He talked about his dislike for CompUSA and he talked about his trouble trying to get a job at the Apple store in Mall of America. On occasions we talked about his latest iBrotha column.

My eyes swell up with tears now everytime I realize he is not here. He was probably the most enthusiastic and patient salesperson at CompUSA and even at MicroCenter. He used his charm and knowledge about Apple products to make the customer even newbies comfortable. It was pure joy watching him work with customer and I was glad we had such a dedicated person at the Mac section both at compUSA and at Microcenter.

My sorrow and sympathy goes out to his family. It must seem unbearable to lose such a good person.

I’ll miss you Rodney and will always treasure our talk and your pleasant smile.

He was the Douglas Adams of the grass root Macintosh evangelization. Farewell Rodney.

He was…

He was my favorite on this board!!!  I liked his angle on the whole MAC universe, and the way he dished and received the SH|T!!
I was wondering where he was recently and why i hadnt seen any of his posts??  Well, I just wanna say thanks for the humor and interesting points of view you gave to us iBrotha!!  If his iWife is reading this my prayers are with you and the rest on the board…

ET.Okayama.Japan

I will miss ya Rodney

I never knew you except through your writing. But you made me cry today. I never thought I’d cry because I barely knew you, but I did cry. I guess that’s your last act to get some reaction out of people.

I’ve never written on this forum before, just mostly lurked…I guess I should have wrote to get to know you better.

I’ll miss you Rodney. My heart goes out to your family and friends.

RIP. I hope you’ve found whatever out there that you need for the solace you were looking for.

Andrew Wong.

nothing left to say

But I’ll try anyway.

I met Rodney about a year ago…  I was in Microcenter buying a Wireless card…  I wandered into the Mac section and was immediately greeted by a nice man wearing a nametag that said ‘iBrotha’.  We yapped about OSX and the things we were excited about in it…  just small talk really, since I wasn’t looking for help or to buy anything.  He seemed genuinely nice.  I didn’t say anything about knowing his column, it just didn’t seem necessary.  Now I wish I had, because I know how even a simple compliment can brighten my own day when I’m on a low…

So hey bro.  I read your column.  Good stuff, I dig it.

Hmm…  that helps a little.  My heart’s out to all y’all who knew the iBrotha better than I.  May you find a way to find peace with this.

Alex
-Mpls

What a tragedy. Sincere condolences and prayers to his wife, Irma, and family. Rodney, I hope you have found your peace at last. Thanks for insights that made me think and smile. I always looked forward to reading your columns. We will miss you.

I met Rodney at A mac world. The man left an impression in me of what a true mac evangelist was. he had a great passion for the Macintosh. I loved that about him. I would often print out his collums and give them to friends to read. They were funny, yet thought provoking. That is what i loved so much about his collums. It is so hard to imagine Rodney as being depressed. It was a true shock to me when i read the news on here today. I am still not really sure what to make of it. All i can say is that he will be missed greatly and he was loved by many.
Nayt

Rodney

the guy oveer at http://www.mymac.com/robertson/6.17.02.shtml just posted a thing on Rodney. Laced with swear words, but it is fitting

Devistated

I am devastated by the news. This is the first I could muster the strength to post.

Rodney was one of my closest friends. We met while he worked for Power On Software (I still work there). I just saw him two weeks ago when he stopped by to pick up some software (He dropped what he was on his way to do to run home, install and play with it). We spoke just last week when he called and asked if I wanted to go have a beer and go see “some girls”. Damn, I wish I had said yes at the time. I was too busy. I told him to give me a call this weekend.

I also suffer from manic-depression (bi-polar disorder) and have attempted suicide twice. I know what it is like to be in that place. Maybe he wanted to talk. I don’t know for sure but I think I am the only person he hung out with who suffers from depression like he. We had talked over the past few weeks about his battle to stay on his meds. Last I saw him he was doing fine… Damn, I wish I had had that beer.

Thanks to all of you for being a friend to Rodney.

Patrick Rhone

ibrotha

Rodney, we will never know what pushed you past the point of no return, but you were loved and respected by all us MacHeads, and we only wish we could have intervened to show you how much we care. But now we have your memory and your writings to remember you by, and this is how your spirit wil live on. God Bless you, wherever you are now.

Ibrotha, you will be missed.

I am numb this morning upon hearing of the passing of Rodney O. Lain.   I think the outpouring of emotions I’ve read this morning serve as a testament to the number of lives Ibrotha touched. 

His contributions while he was with us obviously extended well beyond his insightful observations of the Apple Community, the rich tapestry of African-American culture, society at large and religion.  Rodney was a family man and friend to many.  Most of all, though, Rodney was a decent human being.

I hope that the news of Rodney’s battle with depression teaches us to be a little more kind to others and perhaps a little more sensitive to what one might be feeling.  Depression is such as insidious disease because sufferers often keep it a secret.  If you know someone whom you suspect to be battling depression, reach out to them.  They may not accept the help, but it may get them to open up about it and eventually seek treatment.

I’ll get off my soapbox now, as I’m sure Rodney would not want us lamenting the “would have, could have, should haves.”  Instead, I will think of all the time I’ve spent reading his columns, laughing at his jokes, and how much they made us all smile. 

-A Fan

Where’s the “Holy S**T?!?” smiley when you really need one?

Geez, I don’t know what’s scaring me more, the fact that Rodney’s gone, or the fact that he “took his own life”.  Neither item is something I want to dwell on…

The Mac community’s not going to be the same without him, that’s for sure.

Well Dammit.

This is no way to start a Monday.

I haven’t been visiting the forums much since summer started, trying to get out from under the computer once in a while.  I think Rodney told me to, once or twice.  But even so, TMO was a daily check, to see if there was something new from iBrotha.

So I checked in today.  And, well…dammit.

I don’t even remember when I first read one of Rodney’s screeds.  But i followed him, seemingly all over the Mac Web, and was happy that he finally landed at a permanent home at TMO.  It made it easier to find him, and he had the freedom to say what he wanted to.

I only knew Rodney through e-mail and his columns, but I loved his irreverence and intelligence.  I even managed to scrounge up a couple of quotes he thought he’d use.

So now I can’t concentrate, and my trackpad won’t work because my fingers are wet from wiping away tears. Another of our best is gone, and we don’t have any to spare.

And the only thing I seem to be able to say is dammit.

Brian

rodney, man…

i don’t think it was a good idea.  no one but you could know your pain.

thanks for all the stuff, man….all the stuff.

Sadness

I didn’t know Rodney, but I knew Rodney. I feel as if I’ve lost kin; he was one of my tribe.

I’m seriously considering participating in this event:
http://www.bethepeople.com/darkness/events_darkness.htm

Another resource is:
http://www.afsp.org/index-1.htm

I’m fighting depression, but thankfully have never seriously contemplated suicide. His pain must have been immense.

I grieve for his wife and family.

Pascale Soleil